Shears



June 14, 1927.

C. H. WILKES ET AL SHEARS Filed May 26, 1925 il' TNESS Patented June 14, 1927.

UNITED STATES `1,632,525 PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE H. WiLxEs AND GEORGE E. CALHOUN, oEAMsTEnnAM, NEW Yonx, As-

sIGNoEs To AMSTERDAM CUTLEEY COMPANY, INCORPORATED, or AMSTERDAM, NEW Yoan, A conroEATIoN Aor NEW Yonx.

Application led Iay 26, 1925. Serial No. 32,911.

This invention relates to certain improvements in shears and more particularly to 'hand shears in which a pair 'of levers crossing each other Vare pivoted together at the manner that the cutting edges of the blades `A'are generally considerably thinner than the back edges and beveled in opposite directions so as to form the desired cutting edges and owing to this fact it is not always possible to produce a uniform hardening or tempering of all portions of the cuttino edges in that some portions tliereor` may xbe too hard and brittle and other portions too soft resulting in differential wearing and lack oi uniformity in grinding` or sharpening.

Furthermore when the cutting edges are formed directly upon the blades of the one piece levers it is more or less difficult to grind or sharpen the cutting edges 'uniformly Without separating the levers at their crossings -and Grinding one blade at a time and it, theretore, follows that after a greater or less period of use and frequent re-sharpening the cutting edges become deformed and unfit for further use resulting in the discard of the entire shears and replacement by a new set.

The main object of our present invention is to overcome these diiiculties by rovidin extra comparatively lthin cutting Iblades o uniform thickness throughout their lengths capable of being more easily and uniformly tempered or hardened throughout their areas and applying them to the blades of the levers in such manner that they may be readily placed and locked in operative position and easily and quickly removed when desired for sharpening so that when Worn or otherwise impaired beyond further use they may be replaced by new ones upon the same blades of the levers at a comparatively low cost, thus permitting the use of both levers' for an indeinite period of time.

. It is also well-known that in shears of this ty'pe as usually constructed the pivotal connection at the crossing soon becomes worn and loosened to such an extent as to render the cutting operation more or less ineilicient and to require frequent tightening which cannot always be adjusted to the re uired nicety, and another Objectis toprovi e the lieel of one of the blades with a return extension adapted to overlap upon the outer face of the adjacent portion of the other blade for receiving the pivotal screw and for the purpose of'retaining said blades in closer operative relation for a longer period of time than has heretofore been possible.

Other objects and uses relating to speciiic parts of thedevice will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are opposite face views of a pair of shears embodying the various features oi our invention, portions of one ofthe handles in Figure 2 being broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional View thru the blades of the shears taken on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view thru the blades taken on line Y 1w-4., Figure 1.

Figures 5 and 6 are face views of the detaclied supplemental blades.

Figure 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through a portion of one of the levers and adjacent portion of one of the shearing blades, the latter being shown by dotted lines as detached.

As illustrated, this shears comprises a pair oflevers 1 and 2 crossing each other intermediate their ends to form opposed blades and 4L-- at one end and suitable handles. -5-- and -.6- at their opposite ends, said levers being provided with registering apertures -7- and -8 at their crossings for receiving a pivotal pin or stud -9- whereb the levers are pivotally connected to each ot er.

The handle ends -5 and 6 of the levers are oiset outwardly from the longitudinal centers of their respective blades -4- to form an intervening space between them extending to a point in more or less close proximity to the crossing portions of the levers, the heel of one of said levers as -3- being provided with a U-shaped extension l0- integral therewith and returned a limited distance toward the point of the blades so as to overlap upon the outer face of the adjacent portion of the other blade 4fbeyond the pivot -9-.

The base of the U-shaped extension l0- extends across the heel of the blade -4- in the space between the adjacent portions of the handles 5 and -6, the relative widths of the base of the extension 10- and space between the adjacent portions of the handles being suiciently different to permit the levers to open and close without friction with the base of the extension.

The forwardly returned arm of the extension lO- is provided with an aperture 11 for receiving the head of the pivotal bolt l0- and is also aralle] with the opposite portion of the b ade -3- and tensioned so as to exert axial pressure upon the crossingI portions of the blades, one against the other, to hold their cutting blades, presently described, in cutting relation, it being understood that these levers will be made of cutlery steel or equivalent material having more or less resiliency.

The adjacent or inner faces of the blades -3- and lare substantially flat transversely throughout their lengths for receiving and supporting a pair of cooperative shearing or cutting blades 13- and 14- which are preferably made of comparatively thin sheets of cutlery steel or uniform thickness and tempered to the required degress of hardness for cutting purposes.

Each supplemental cutting blade 13 and 14- is of substantially the same form as its supporting blade -3- and -4- so as to extend from the pivot -9-- to the points thereof and is assembled thereon in such manner that its cutting edge projects beond the adjacent edge of the supporting blade throughout the length thereof for cutting purposes, said cutting edges of the blade 13- and i4- being slightly convexed longitudinally as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and also beveled transversely as shown in Figure 4 to form cooperative shearing edges -l3-` and -l4-.

Suitable means is provided for detachably or removably retaining the supplemental blades l3- and 14rin operative position upon the inner faces of their supporting blades -3- and -4- and for this purpose each of the supporting blades 3- and f1- is provided with two or more studs 15- rigidly and permanently secured thereto in spaced longitudinal relation some distance from the pivotal pin -9- and extended beyond the inner face of the supporting blade a distance corresponding approximately to, but not greater than the thickness of the adjacent supplemental cutting blade -13- or -14-.

The inner end of each stud -15- is enlarged and preferably flared inwardly lto form a head -15- so that the periphery thereof is more or less undercut to form a retaining shoulder for the adjacent supplemental cutting blade as -13- or -14- 1n a manner resentl described.

These supp ementa cutting blades 13- and -14- extend from points slightly beyond the points of the supporting blades -3- and 4.- along the inner faces of said supporting blades and beyond the pivotal pin -9- so that their adjacent inner ends cross and overlap one upon the other between the adjacent portions of said supporting blades and are provided with registering apertures 16 for receiving the pivotal pin -9-, the tension of the forwardly extending arm of the extension 10- serving to hold the meeting faces of the supplemental blades 18- and lllin close cutting relation.

Each of the supplemental cutting blades 13- and liis also provided with two or more holes or openings -17- arranged in longitudinally spaced relation corresponding approximately to the spacing of the heads -l5 of the studs -15- and are also flared inwardly preferably by counterboring to form beveled shoulders -17- for interlocking engagement with the heads -15- of the adjacent supporting blade -3- 0r -4 The smaller ends of the openings -l7- are somewhat larger than the heads 15'- to permit the latter to pass easily therethrough when assembling or removing the supplemental blades.

The distances between the axis of the pivotal opening 16- and axes of the holes 17.- in each blade are slightly less than the dlstances between the axis of the pivotal stud -9- and blade retaining studs l5- so that when the supplemental blades 13- and `lfi are placed upon the inner faces of their respective supporting blades 3- and -4- with their openings -17- registering with the heads -l5- of their corresponding studs 15 and then moved endwise toward their respective handles -5-4 and 6 the beveled shoulders -17- will interlock with the heads -15- while their pivotal openings 16- will simultaneously register with the openings -7, -8-, and 1lin the parts 3-, -4, and -10- for receiving the pivot 9- which, when inserted in the openings -8-, 1land -16- will hold the sup lemental blades -13- and -14- m inter ockng engagement with the heads -15- of the studs l5- The opening -7- in the lever -1- is threaded while the adjacent end of the pivotal bolt -9- is reduced and also threaded for engagement with the threaded aperture 7-, the reduced threaded end forming a shoulder -9- which when the pivotal stud 9- is tightened engages the inner face of the lever 3- to firmly hold the stud in fixed position' and also to prevent excessive cutting blades -13- and i4- at their crossingsj Operation.

Assuming that the pivotal pin -9- is removed and that the levers -1- and -2- are separated ready to receive the supplemental cutting blades 13 and -14-,

each supplemental blade is then placed flatwise upon its supporting blade with its openings -17- registering with the heads of the correspondingV studs I5- after which the supplemental cutting blade is moved endwise by hand toward the corresponding handle until its shoulders 17- are interlocked with the corresponding heads 15'- at which time the openin 1G- will be registered with the pivota ol ening in the corresponding supporting bla e.

The lever -2- with its cutting blade thereon is then inserted between the forwardly projecting arm of the extension -10 and adjacent portion of rthe lever -3` and its opening -8 brou ht into registration with the openings and A-llwhereupon the pivotal bolt -9- is inserted into the registering openings -11-, -8-, --16 and 7 and tightened for pivotally connecting the supporting blades -3- and -4- and supplemental cuttin blades -13- and 14 to each other ancgi also for holding the supplemental cutting blades l3 and 1din engagement 'j with their locking members -15- it being understood that the openin s 1G- in the supplemental cutting blafes -14- and also the opening -8- in the supportin blade --4- are of substantially the same iameter as the adjacent portion of thevv pivotal stud 9 to hold those parts in co-axial relation with the pivotal bolt and also to assure the retention of the supplemental cutting blades -13 and 14 in intlerloeking engagement with the heads 5 When it is necessary to remove the supplemental cutting blades for re-grinding or for replacement it is simply necessary to remove the screw stud -9- whereupon the supporting blades -3- and 4 may be separated from each other and the cuttin blades 13- and -14- removed by en wise and lateral displacement from their supporting blades -3- and -4.

What we claim is:

In shears of the class described,v a pair of levers crossing each other to form bladesupporting arms at one end and handles at the opposite end, separate shearing blades removably mounted on adjacent aces of said arms and extending across the intersection. of the levers to overlap at the crossing, one of said levers having an extension across the overlapping ends of the shearing blades and upon the outer face of the adjacent portion of the other lever to bind the intersecting portions of said levers and overlapping portions of the blades together, a pivotal pin passing through registering openin s in said levers, bladesand extension for ho ding the levers and blades co-axial with the plvotal pin, and additional devices for holding the blades against lateral movement relatively to their respective levers when engaged with said pivotal pin and for releasing the blades when the pivotalpin is removed.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 20th da of Ma 1925.

CLAREN E H. ILKES. GEORGE E. CALHOUN. 

